


Nothing Else Matters

by Kappakay



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Canon Compliant, Hurt/Comfort, Its also speculative of what will happen in episode Ignis, M/M, Sort of? - Freeform, vague undertones of Promptis
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-10
Updated: 2017-12-10
Packaged: 2019-01-31 10:53:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 10,761
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12680433
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kappakay/pseuds/Kappakay
Summary: Everything was burning, the city torn apart by Titan’s attack on Leviathan, large chunks of debris and rock floating in the now calm waters. No one was in sight- both Gladio and Ignis successful in evacuating the city before the worst happened - but the lack of people made the Shield instantly aware of one fact.Ignis was missing.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome to the Episode Ignis pain train! TOOT TOOOOOT.All aboard~
> 
> A little while back, I got approached by some good friends of mine to write a little story in conjunction with their cosplay photos. I, seeing a chance to not only cry my Gladnis heart out at their creation, also saw a chance to add some fuel to the fire. So here we are, a group effort of pain.  
> Each chapter will accompany a cosplay photo found on Silverlining's Instagram. I'll post a link to the photo prompt at the end of each chapter and they'll post a link to this fic. Every Friday up until Episode Ignis is released will have an update. (Maybe there will be a bonus picture... who knows.)
> 
> Shout out to my Prompto for making sure I write him properly and to my friend Mason for double checking my Gladio impression. (I'm mostly a Noctis person).
> 
> ((side note: I haven't abandoned my other projects I promise))

_Searching through the day and into the night_  
They wouldn’t stop until they found him  
They didn’t know him and they didn’t understand  
They never ask him why  
“Get outta my way!” They heard him shout  
Then a blinding light 

\----- 

Gladiolus Amicitia opened his eyes to the carnage and destruction of Altissa. Everything was burning, the city torn apart by Titan’s attack on Leviathan, large chunks of debris and rock floating in the now calm waters. No one was in sight- both Gladio and Ignis successful in evacuating the city before the worst happened - but the lack of people made the Shield instantly aware of one fact. Ignis was missing.

 _“IGNIS!”_ Gladio shouted, suddenly fully alert as panic laced through his chest. A quick scan around him revealed no sign of the king’s advisor, so Gladio got to his feet, quick to take action. Angrily, he tapped his earpiece. “Ignis?!” he growled into it. Silence. “Fuck, c’mon man.” He waited a moment longer, but no one answered. 

Gladio growled, frustrated, as he started to pace, trying to remember what happened before he blacked out. He recalled seeing Noctis fight Leviathan, the shimmering blue weapons of his ancestors laying down some serious damage, of helping evacuate a son and his father from their ruined house, of Ignis’ stern tone warning Gladio of falling debris. A flash of light had erupted then, blinding him as some cosmic force knocked him back. Sharp pain had exploded across his back, then, nothing but darkness. 

Fuck, what had happened? Had that blinding light displaced Ignis too? Annoyed with the lack of answers, Gladio kicked the nearest rock, the stone soaring far off into the brackish water. _I’m not going to find out anything by staying here._ Gladio had to move. He tried talking into his ear piece again, but static was the only thing that answered his calls, so he searched around for a vantage point. Where he was now felt like the bottom of a hole, debris piled up high around him on one side, and a rush of water on his other. Testing out a few large pieces of rock, he hastily climbed up, and out of his hole. 

Standing on top of the debris, the Shield felt his stomach drop. Empire ships were everywhere, their black and red steel shells swarming around where Titan was, and no doubt, Noctis was too. The Astral was taking a beating, but he was holding his own, his fists punching through the air ships as if they were made of mist. 

“-adio?” Prompto’s worried voice came through and Gladio sighed, closing his eyes briefly in a moment of relief. At least the kid was okay. “Gladio! Come on, please, someone answer me!”

“I’m here kid,” Gladio responded, keeping his voice as neutral as possible. Prompto gave a triumphant cry on the other end and Gladio almost ripped the earpiece out.

“Dude, oh my Six thank the Gods!! I’ve been trying to get through to someone for like a minute! I-I thought something happened ‘cuz no one was answering and I kinda panicked and- god’s I don’t know what I’d do if-

“Prompto, calm your shit. You’re not helping anyone by working yourself up. What happened?”

“I don’t even know!! I was trying to keep an eye on Noct, in case he needed back up, which he totally didn’t since he was kickin’ ass and what not, but it’s like a flying Nif minefield up there! Had to pull some maneuvers to get one of ‘em off my back but when I turned around, Noct was just gone..”

“What do you mean he was gone? I thought you were keeping an eye on him.”

“I was! He fell out of the sky and Luna was there and then Titan showed up and rocks showed up and then the Empire showed up and it was like the UFC of bad shit and I-”

“Prompto!” Gladio interrupted him, his mind working fast. “Have you heard from Ignis?” A moment of silence before a small “no” worked its way through the communication system. Gladio sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Alright, you still have that air scooter?”

“Uh yeah. It’s taken a beating though.”

“Bring it over here. We need to go find Noctis.”

Prompto made a noise of agreement, and Gladio rattled off where he was. Before he could hang up on the freckled boy, Prompto said hesitantly, “Hey, uh big guy?”

“Yeah.”

“... I’m sure Ignis is fine.”

Gladio swallowed around the lump of worry forming in his throat. Leave it to Prompto to zero in on what he was really concerned about. Not that he wasn’t worried about the prince. The three of them all swore a vow saying that Noctis would always come first and Gladio was insistent on following through with that. After all, he loved the raven haired dork like a brother. Ignis on the other hand... It wasn’t that he wasn’t capable in a fight - the guy had been training with Gladio since they were kids - he just had a tendency to forget about his own safety in the presence of others in danger. 

_Wait a minute._ An idea hit him. If Ignis saw Noctis fall from the sky, then there’s a potential that-

Turning on the spot, Gladio looked out towards where Titan was. Surrounded by the Empire’s fleet of ships, the Astral was doing its best, fighting them off, probably protecting the prince from danger. _Of course._ If Ignis saw that, he’d probably head that way to help out Noct. Tapping his earpiece again, he called on Prompto. “Hey kid, I’ve got an idea. Get your ass over here now.”

The response was immediate. “I’m almost there. You got a plan?”

“Vaguely. If I’m right, we’ll find both of them.”

“I knew you had brains on top of that brawn, I don’t care what Noct says.” 

Glaring at nothing in particular, Gladio turned off his piece as he waited for Prompto. As promised, he showed up no more than a minute after they cut off communication. The blonde boy looked a bit shaken up with a few cuts on his arms, but overall, he looked fine. Gladio waltzed up and climbed onto the mechanism. “Glad to see you’re okay.”

“You too,” Prompto replied, revving the engine. “So, where are we heading?”

“To Titan, of course.”

“Wait, what?!” Prompto shot Gladio a panicked look, and Gladio was instantly reminded of why the other boy wasn’t allowed to drive the Regalia. At least they were still on the ground. “Do you not see all the Empire ships? We’d be walking into a meat grinder!” He threw his hands in that general direction, as if Gladio wasn’t already painfully aware of what they were going to be flying into.

“Noctis is still over there, and I bet any amount of gil that’s where Ignis went too,” Gladio reasoned, giving Prompto a good stare. The blood rushed out of Prompto’s face, but he set his mouth in determination and nodded. Gladio felt a swell of pride. Unlike himself and Ignis, Prompto didn’t choose this life of danger- hell he doesn’t he even know how bad it will get- but the kid still soldiered on with the rest of them. Gladio had to admire that.

Facing forward, the Shield was about to tell Prompto to take off when a glimmer of something familiar caught his eye. _By the Six…_ “Stay here!” Gladio commanded, getting off the scooter, before Prompto could properly voice an opinion. Clambering his way through the wreckage, Gladio found something he didn’t want to. 

Gingerly, he picked them up, a burst of cold dread working from the fingertips that held the frame to his heart. To the unknown eye, they would’ve appeared as any other pair of reading glasses but Gladio knew exactly who owned them. The faint leopard print along the arms of the frame gave away their owner’s identity. Ignis’ glasses, broken, had blood coating the jagged pieces of glass that still clung stubbornly to the wire frame. Gladio’s fist clenched at his side and he mashed his teeth as he forcibly pocketed the broken spectacles. A light flame had ignited when Gladio couldn’t find Ignis. Now, holding on to a sign that Ignis was not okay, it had stoked into a proper fire.

“H-Hey,” Prompto called out hesitantly, clinging to the scooter. Clenching his fists to stop from punching the nearest hunk of junk, Gladio turned on his heel and strode with purpose back to Prompto, hot anger pumping through his veins. With each step, the need to maul, mangle and destroy whomever hurt Ignis grew until it was the sole fuel that drove Gladio forward. It was a torrential storm of destruction whirling within him, and Gladio forced himself to keep it in line. For now. 

 

Ignis had better be alive, or Astrals save the poor bastard who would be facing the might of the King’s Shield.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shout out to best boi Promsha for editing this chapter again. <3 Thanks to everyone who responded so positively to the first chapter! We're in this hell together guys.
> 
> Link to the photo prompt: https://instagram.com/p/BbmgbwVFt1w/

Whatever was in Gladio’s eyes made Prompto audibly gulp. “Do I wanna know what you found?”

“No,” Gladio replied tersely, gripping the handlebars too tightly as he mounted the scooter again, bending the bars to be perfect molds of his hands. Eyes widening at the show of strength, Prompto slowly faced forward. Revving the engine, the blonde boy shot the scooter forward, fumbling to turn the mechanism up higher to avoid hitting a pile of junk. “Hey watch it!” Gladio snapped.

“Sorry, sorry! These things are tricky and don’t respond well to, er, not imperial robots running them,” Prompto explained, leaning his body away from Gladio to steer the scooter to the left. Instinctively, the Shield followed suit, keeping an eye out for any sign of trouble.

It didn’t take long for the Nifs to spot them in the air. 

There must have been scouts on the rooftops of the remaining buildings because soon the sky was littered with small specks of Nifelheim scooters flying towards their position. Prompto squeaked when Gladio pointed them out, nudging the mechanism through a particularly narrow space between two buildings, hoping to lose them. The pilots followed though, and somehow, more appeared on their flank. Happy to have something to unleash his rage on, Gladio stood as tall as he could. “Keep doing what you can to get us to Titan. I’ll give us some cover.” He reached into the Armiger, feeling the familiar leather grip of his favourite broadsword, and brought it out to unleash pain. Unfortunately, the scooter did not take well to the extra weight. It lurched hard on the Shield’s side, earning a yelp from Prompto as he was pulled to drape himself across the centre of the scooter from the force of it. Quick on his feet, Gladio tossed his sword and grabbed back onto the scooter. 

“Dude! You’re already testing the balance of this thing with your bulk of muscles. It can’t take extra weight!” The gunner exclaimed as he got back into position, the wind whipping his hair around, mussing his style. Annoyed, Gladio grunted, righting himself on the scooter as well, glaring about as the enemy flew in closer.

“Either figure out a way to lose these assholes, or fucking land this thing so I can properly deal with them then,” Gladio shot back at Prompto, his rage spiking. 

Prompto shook his head before nodding it forward, “I don’t think losing them is an option.” Sensing something off in Prompto’s tone, Gladio briefly turned his gaze from the scooters flanking them to see the Archeon back slap a large empire ship right towards them. Everything slowed down to Gladio as he quickly analyzed the situation, coming up with a quick plan to get out of the mess. 

All around them, Nifelheim air scooters were converging like a swarm of hornets, either not noticing or not caring that a giant ship was about to crash into all of them. Steering themselves clear of the path of destruction was clearly out of the question as they were surrounded in three of the four directions. Going down with the scooter was not an option, so the Shield had to improvise with what he had. “Follow my lead!” he yelled at the other who turned to watch him with wide eyes. Again, Gladio summoned his sword, but this time he was ready for the dip the scooter would take. Holding on tight, the air scooter pitched to the right hard, and Gladio readied his blade as they were on path to hit an enemy scooter. Before the pilot could react, Prompto summoned his gun and put a bullet in its head “Nice!” Gladio congratulated him, dismissing his blade again. “Now grab on.”

“Wha-?” Prompto started to ask before the Shield grabbed the front of his shirt. As their scooter collided with the other one, Gladio used the momentum to pull Prompto along behind him as he jumped to the next scooter. The stolen scooter, now with additional weight and momentum, veered to the right and descended faster, the console system sparkling with electricity. They were falling to the ground at a good speed, but not quite fast enough. Above them, the giant ship was still coming towards them, the first line of Nif scooters meeting their untimely demise to steel and smoke. Gladio maneuvered Promoto to stand behind him on the scooter, and the younger one grabbed onto Gladio tightly. Once again, Gladio summoned his sword, the scooter dipping left and down. A few foolish Nifelheim scooters tried to pursue, but a majority of them broke apart as the ship sailed over the two retainers heads, barely scraping the top of Gladio’s head. 

The slipstream from the ship was massive, picking up their scooter and flipping it upside down, tossing the two on it as easily as if they were leaves on a tree. Gladio kept as tight of a hold as he could on the broken scooter, but the handle broke off and left him with nothing to hold on to. Quick to action, Gladio pushed off the scooter with his feet, flipping himself so his chest was facing the ground, Prompto still clinging to his back. They fell through the air, but luckily they didn’t have far to fall. A little bit of extra luck was thrown their way as they missed solid land and ended up in the water, the liquid surface, while still painful from such heights, was more forgiving than solid ground. The two sank briefly below the surface before Gladio pulled them back up, both coughing up water. 

“You okay back there?” Gladio asked, noting the still firm grip on his neck. 

“Still in one piece I think!,” Prompto coughed a reply, his lithe frame shaking. Gladio quickly surveyed his surroundings, noting that they weren’t that far from Titan. To their left was a still semi intact docking system that had a wall with stairs carved into them. A good starting point.

A crash resounded from nearby, and a large explosion blew fire and debris behind the two, signifying the end of the ship’s descent. Turning his gaze up, Gladio saw a fraction of the ships that had pursued them still flying in the air, and diving down towards them both. 

_Great._

Heart pumping red hot adrenaline through his veins, Gladio swam to shore as fast as he could, and pulled both of them out of the water. He coaxed Prompto’s frozen fingers to relinquish their grip on his shoulders- which he hesitantly did- and shook as much water off himself as he could before the Nifs descended on him. Luckily for the two, the scooters were unarmed, but unluckily, most of the pilots were. Summoning his shield, Gladio pushed Prompto towards the stairs. “Move! And summon your gun!”

“Oh! Uh, right.” Blue sparks danced across Prompto’s fingers as he summoned his trusty gun. Turning on his heel, Prompto took off towards the stairs in a sprint, Gladio keeping a good pace behind him, his shield raised. The scooters descended down, but the narrowness created a bottleneck effect, forcing only a dozen soldiers to dismount their scooters to chase after the two Lucian soldiers on foot. The remaining airborne enemies, flew away, probably trying to find another place to land to give chase. 

The kid was a natural runner, scaling the steps before Gladio, and providing cover in the form of a blanket of bullets. He easily dropped the few soldiers that got too close, a well placed hole smokin between their eyes. Once Gladio had gotten close enough, Prompto ducked into the canopied patio, Gladio right behind him. The two ran across the shaded area, exiting out into an open, still intact street, tall houses blocking them in, and airborne enemies out. Having only one choice of direction, the two kept running, following the street as it angled slightly down. 

A shrill cry of agony bounced off the enclosed street, making Gladio’s blood run cold. Prompto stopped in his tracks, looking back at the Shield. They both knew who that scream belonged to.

Ignis.

Throwing his shield back into the Armiger, Gladio took the reigns from Prompto and ran past him, becoming hyperfocused on the task at hand, the beast within him scratching at its flimsy confines. At least the scream let them know they were running in the right direction, but how quickly they could get there…

The farther the two descended into the cover of the tall buildings, the more apparent it became that the sun had set a while ago, disguised by the glow of the multiple fires that had broken out as a result of the heated combat. Eventually they entered an open, well decorated platform, the floor splattered with a beautiful mosaic pattern. The walls housed large columns, each with a winding serpent carved into it, snaking its way towards the open ceiling as if each one thirsted for the sun’s rays and the moon’s light. 

There was only one hallways accessible to them and Gladio entered it without any prompting. At the end of the hallway, he could see a vague outline of a figure crouching on the platform. Not holding back, Gladio was running in an all out sprint, his heartbeat loud in his ears. The figure stood, clearly hearing the approach of Gladio and turned, raising their hand to remove their hat in a very familiar gesture. Gladio let out a feral roar, feeling the walls around the beast crumble as he gave a final push to get to where Ardyn was, Prompto’s footfalls keeping pace behind him.

The two burst out onto the space, and the soft glow of the moon illuminated what remained of the shrine for Leviathan. Ardyn stood at the top of the platform, the now calm ocean breeze ruffling his deep red hair, with two unconscious bodies at his feet. Gladio halted, Prompto coming up to stand at his heels. On reflex, Gladio summoned his sword, and Prompto pulled out his gun, training its barrel at the threat above them. Ardyn, calm as ever, splayed his hands out in a mock greeting, unphased by their hostility. “Ah gentleman. Welcome! I’m afraid you’re a bit late to the party. The Hydreon and Archeon have retired for the evening, as have your dear prince and advisor.” 

“You son of a bitch! What have you-”

“Now now,” Ardyn tutted at the pair of them, shaking his head slightly. “Is that anyway to treat the man who rescued your beloved?”

Gladio snorted, balling his fists. “The hell you talkin’ ‘bout?”

Smirk growing wider, Ardyn placed his hat back on his head, momentarily shielding his eyes. “Why don’t you come and see for yourselves?”

Shouldering his sword, Gladio hesitantly walked up the steps, his body tensed and ready for action. A part of him was screaming at him to cleave Ardyn in two while the man was riding high on his confidence. The other part of him silenced that scream, needing to see the state Ignis and Noctis were in.

When they got to the top of the steps, Prompto gasped. He dropped his gun, forgetting his distrust of Ardyn for the sake of collapsing to his knees at Noctis’ side. The prince lay peacefully on the stonework, unconscious but he looked otherwise unharmed. That didn’t stop Prompto from running his eyes frantically over every inch of Noctis’ body, looking for any sign of distress.

Ignis however... He was another story. Angry red marks cut deep into Ignis’ left eye, blood crusting over the wounds already as if they had been cauterized with fire. His right eye bore a giant gash running from the top of his brow ridge to just under his eye, the depth of it extreme enough to suggest permanent damage to his vision. Gladio slowly lowered himself, placing his hand gently on Ignis’ chest. He almost wept with relief when he felt the advisors steady pulse beneath his palm.

Knowing that Ignis was alive but hurt, Gladio shot Ardyn a deadly glare. The chancellor tipped his hat up slightly. “No need to thank me, really. All in a day’s work.”

“The fuck happened to Iggy?!” Gladio spat at the man, eyed focused on Ignis’ ruined ones.

Ardyn sighed, pouting his lip in a facsimile of sadness. “Hubris I’m afraid. Those ‘old kings’ with their rigid rules never smile kindly on intruders, no matter the purity of their intention. Be thankful he came back alive at all.” 

Each word uttered by the Chancellor was like daemon sludge dripping down Gladio’s back. Shaking with barely controlled rage, his knuckles white from the intensity he held his sword, Gladio straightened his legs slowly. Standing at his full height, he gave a battle cry and brought down his sword on Ardyn Izunia.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Come yell at me on twitter/Instagram (@kappakay) or yell at SilverLinings since they created this project (@silverliningcosplay on Instagram or @SilverLiningCos on twitter) This project is really fun omg.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Picture prompt: https://instagram.com/p/Bb4WMYCFJc1/  
> Once again, huge shout out to my boi Promsha for editing this and (at this point) practically writing Prompto for me xD. Thanks to Silverlings Cosplay for giving me a juicy project to work at to my hearts content huhuhu. Chapter 3 peeps! We're reaching the halfway point ;)

He may as well have been trying to strike smoke. Ardyn artfully dodged the sword at the last minute, chuckling as he did so, only serving to enrage Gladio further. He pivoted, slicing the sword in an upward angle to catch the Chancellor across his chest. Again, his sword met air as his target dodged easily, hopping backwards towards the steps. “I’m insulted! After everything I’ve done for you.”

The Shield laughed bitterly. “For us? Bullshit! Everything you’ve done has been for your own twisted reasons!” He lunged forward, slicing his broadsword horizontally through the air, then switched his grip and brought the blade up, using the momentum for a downward vertical swipe. Ardyn dodged yet again, his arms braced behind his back as he moved his feet in a dance for his life, though his face showed little concern for his well being. 

“Has it?” Ardyn inquired, feigning surprise and sliding one foot back to easily evade another attack. Gladio quickly arched the blade back up again, aiming for his neck, but the sly bastard ducked underneath, and pirouetted away, increasing the distance between the two of them. “Would you have been able to access the Archeon if it weren’t for me? Please tell me, how does Noct gaining the Astral’s blessing’s work in my favour?”

“Haven’t figured that part out yet,” Gladio grunted, summoning his shield and bashing the ground. Ardyn lept back out of range.

“When you do, kindly let me know,” Ardyn mused, dusting off his coat. “I’d be curious to know how efficient my diabolical plan must be if it consists of me aiding the enemy in gaining god-like strength. For the record, I don’t particularly fancy death by boulder. Such a boorish way to go.” 

Gladio was relentless, swinging his sword again and again, trying to land at least one hit on the bastard but every time the blade came down, Ardyn slimed out of the way at the last second. Gladio’s blood was screaming, boiling over with the unquenchable desire to feel his blade slice through Ardyn’s skin. It was an insatiable itch, one that threatened to consume him with each missed strike. He could vaguely hear Prompto call his name from behind him, but the blonde’s words fell on deaf ears. All that he could see was the man in front of him tinted red with the rage burning behind his eyes and thrumming through every muscle in his body.

“Are you sure you should be wasting your time on little, old me?” the Chancellor hummed. Gladio was panting, muscles shaking from the strain he was putting on them, but he refused to stop. Ardyn on the other hand, looked as calm and as in control as ever as he passively watched the Shield shoulder his sword. “You don’t know what could be happening to dear old Ignis now do you?”

“He’s alive, and tough as shit. He isn’t gonna let some small scratch get the better of him.”

“Small?” Ardyn raised an eyebrow. “You didn’t hear what I said before did you?”

His adrenaline was kicking every one of the shields senses into overdrive, only a fraction of his power used up in his attacks. His frustration was high, his technique growing sloppier the more he swung without intent. Ardyn didn’t fear him - it was evident in the way he dodged- the Chancellor was playing with him, only interested in wearing out the Shield. Well that, and possibly talking his ear off. 

An idea hit Gladio. As long as Prompto was over by both Ignis and Noctis, Gladio could focus on Ardyn for as long as it took to bring him down. So far, he’d had no success, but he was being too predictable with his attacks. If he could catch Ardyn off guard…

“Every time your hole starts flapping, it takes all my self control not to put my fist through your face.” Gladio commented, shrugging off his sword to impale it into the ground. 

Ardyn threw his head back and laughed. “Such a gentleman! I thank you for helping me preserve this handsome face of mine.” He tipped his hat in gratitude. When Gladio didn’t respond, the Chancellor continued, evidently pleased to be chatting. “If you had listened, you’d have known that it was not I that hurt your beloved. No, rather it was Noctis.”

Gladio crossed his arms to hide his discomfort. _Remember, Ardyn lies._ “I doubt that.”

“Well, indirectly.” He waved his hand in the air to dismiss his earlier comment. “More so it was his ancestors who did the deed of burning away Ignis’ sight, As I stated earlier, he was lucky to come back alive at all. I’ve seen braver men than he turned to dust from its raw power.”

“Ancestors? The hell you talking about?”

“My dear boy, does anything get through that thick skull of yours?” Ardyn scoffed, brushing his bangs out of his eyes. “The entire ancestry of the blood royals of Lucis contained within but a single trinket. A trinket to be passed on through royal puppets until the ‘Chosen King’ can properly wield it”

Gladio stiffened. The Ring of the Lucii? It was here? But… “How?”

Ardyn smirked knowingly. “You have the late Lady Lunafreya to thank for that. She heroically carried it all the way from the ashes of Insomnia to here, all for the hapless prince. It’s a shame he doesn’t have the true merit of a King to utilize it.”

“Underestimating him will be your downfall,” Gladio threatened to, which the Chancellor huffed indignantly. 

“Perhaps. He’ll do better than Ignis at least…” He started pacing, and Gladio stood his ground, watching the other man carefully. Ardyn was getting too confident, wrapped up as he was in his monologuing. “ Strange, isn’t it? That a commoner could utilize the power of the ring, yet someone born of privilege would be denied it in a moment of desperation.” A twisted smile replaced the smirk on Ardyn’s face. “Insulting, don’t you think? That a man of no merit could summon its power, yet all Ignis could accomplish when he put the Ring on was scream. Can you imagine it? The Crystal’s Chosen left defenseless in the realm of the Empire, and one of his knights, powerless to save him.” 

_Careful_ , Gladio chastised himself, feeling the fire in his chest being stoked. _Soon._ Everything was strangely quiet, the background noise of flames crackling in the night muted, but Gladio paid this no attention. In his mind, it was just him and the Chancellor. And that bastard was going to pay.

Ardyn tsked, as if he actually pitied them. “You should have seen it. The man practically begged for me to save his life. Of course, I could have left him to be consumed by the flames casted from the Lucian’s pride but he was just so _pathetic_ I felt I had to do something. If I hadn’t have so boldly stepped in and removed the Ring, well..” He stopped his pacing, leaving his sentence open for interpretation. Ardyn was so tantalizingly close to Gladio and completely unguarded as the Chancellor placed his hands in his pockets. _Not yet._

_He wants you to lose control._

“How incompetent you retainers are. Prompto I can understand- he was born defective, the boy can’t help it - but you two. To be raised as protectors only to fail at every cast of the die.”

_Nothing of what he says is true._

“You, being beaten by a half man.”

_You will prove him wrong._

“And Ignis…” Ardyn took one hand out of his pocket, his fist clenched. Opening his palm to the sky, he offered something eerily familiar to the Shield. “Too cowardly to even die properly.”

He snapped. Gladio flexed and shot out his fit fast enough that not even Ardyn could dodge it successfully. Bone broke under his fist as it connected with the Chancellor’s nose, the crunch under his fist more satisfying than any orgasm he’d ever experienced. Ardyn stumbled back, dropping the ring in favour of covering his nose.

Gladio released his rage with a mighty battle cry, opting to fight with his fists rather than with steel, putting the greatsword back in the Armiger with a flick of his wrist. He was quicker, more light on his feet without the cumbersome weight of the greatsword, which Ardyn was not prepared for. The Shield’s fists flew, utilizing the shock of his first attack to keep landing hits, each one satisfying his need to destroy. Ardyn had lost his edge. While being a towering behemoth of a man who depended primarily on strength, Gladiolus had also been trained in agility and hand to hand combat. Cor was not someone who could’ve been beaten with mere power after all.

An upper cut placed just so knocked Ardyn on his ass and Gladio took his chance. “Looks like I’ve outstayed my welcome,” the Chancellor said regretfully. “Until next time.” The Shield summoned his sword and swung down, Ardyn helpless at his feet, his blood singing with elation.

A loud _thump_ sounded by the Shield, the shockwave knocking him off balance mid swing. Gladio stumbled, dropping his sword as he covered his ears. He turned his head, glaring daggers at the blonde boy now standing beside him. “By all the Six, Gladio! What are you even attacking?!” Prompto panted, his face visibly flushed as he lowered the heavy noiseblaster, its physical form disappearing once it hit the ground. 

“The hell is wrong with you? Why did you make me stop?!” Bending down, he grabbed his sword, and turned his attention back to where Ardyn should have been. Except he wasn’t. Gladio turned, frantically scanning the platform for any sign of the Chancellor, but he had disappeared. Much like the mist he imitated. _“You let him escape!”_ Blood red hot, Gladio marched into the gunner’s personal space, leering over him, as the boy visibly shrunk.

“What??? What are you even talking about??” Prompto said raising his hands defensively. Gladio grabbed the front of his shirt, yanking him up off the ground, earning a yelp from the smaller boy. “Hey hey hey!! What’s the deal big guy?! Ardyn was here yeah, but he ditched out when you first attacked! Then... I don’t even know what happened! I was trying to wake up Noct when you started flinging your slap paddle around. I figure you were just blowing off steam or some shit but you wouldn’t stop! I-I tried to get your attention but you didn’t seem to hear me at all so I thought I should stop you before you hurt yourself but, oh man, if I knew I was gonna be the frontman of your rage I would’ve stayed over by Noct.”

Gladio blinked, confusion creeping into the outskirts of his anger. “You didn’t see Ardyn?”

“N-No!” Prompto’s brow creased in confusion. “He wasn’t there at all! Wait-Is that what you were doing?? Because I thought I heard talking but I figured you were just like… Processing? Which fine, cool, I was doing that in my own way, but my sweet Six Gladio could you chose an outlet that’s a little less Amazing Hulk with a broadsword??? I seriously thought you were losing your mind or something! And there’s no way I could deal with all this shit all on my own! Hell, I don’t even know what to do right now.”

Though Prompto tended to ramble when he got scared, Gladio could more or less in take his words. Slowly, his vision cleared, and he willed his heartbeat to slow, breathing slow and deep. Gently, Gladio lowered Prompto down, letting go of his shirt once his boots hit solid ground. Prompto breathed out a sigh of relief. “Holy hellfire, man. I thought you were gonna strangle me,” he laughed nervously scratching the back of his neck.

“If it would stop your chittering, I might.”

Prompto smoothed out his shirt and adjusted his wristbands. “Har har. Anyways, we gotta move them.” He gestured at their unconscious friends. “We don’t know how much time we’ve got before the Empire tracks us down.”

Gladio nodded, his attention drifting as Prompto jogged up the steps back to Noctis and Ignis. Was what he had just experienced, an illusion? Gladio flexed his fist, looking for any sign of broken skin from him beating on Ardyn. _Sure felt real._ A golden light caught his eye, his gaze turning from his fist to the ground. There, lying on the ground when it theoretically shouldn’t have been, was the Ring of the Lucii. Bending down, Gladio gingerly picked it up, turning it over to inspect every inch of it. It was the real deal, there was no doubt in his mind. But Prompto said he didn’t see Ardyn after his initial strike… 

_What the hell is happening?_

Prompto hollered at him to hurry his ass up, and Gladio kicked himself back into action, pocketing the Ring. He had to worry about this later. Right now, the important thing was making sure both Noctis and Ignis were safe. He jogged up the steps, Prompto already trying to maneuver Noctis onto his back. With help from Gladio, Prompto was able to successfully hold Noctis in a piggyback style, the prince’s arms draped limply over the gunner’s shoulders. “Hold on to him tight, okay kid? He may be scrawny, but even he will feel heavy after a couple of minutes.”

Prompto scoffed. “This ain’t my first time carrying his sorry ass home. One time he passed out after drinking a half bottle of sake as a dare and I had to-”

“Stories later, saving lives now.”

“Right. Sorry.”

Gladio huffed a small chuckle and turned his attention to Ignis, the weight in his pocket feeling more pronounced. Though he knew what to expect, it didn’t hurt any less. Slowly, he lowered himself down, the last of his rage evaporating, and nothing but a feeling of protectiveness washing over him. 

No matter what the apparition of Ardyn had said, Ignis was a hero. He was the smartest, and bravest man Gladio had ever had the fortune of knowing. Having some pompous fuck strut about, spouting lies as readily as seeds in a garden was something Gladio would not allow. “You damn fool, you’re gonna drive me to an early grave.” The Shield whispered to himself, palming Ignis’ cheek lightly.

“That would make two of us.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> God Ardyn is such a sleeze. I gotta peel off my skin to get his stank off me brb.  
> Oh and come yell at all of us on twitter (@kappakay, @silverliningcos) or on instagram (@kappakay, @silverliningcosplay)


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Picture prompt: https://instagram.com/p/BcLAUt1l4od/  
> Day four! Sorry this chapter went up a little late orz. I've come down with the sickness so I've been sleeping on and off for the past day.  
> Once again, thanks to my best boi for editing the chapter and for SilverLinings for giving me this opportunity~

“Iggy?” Gladio’s eyes widened, his other hand cupping the other side of Ignis’ face. The advisor smiled weakly, blinking open the eye that wasn’t heavily scarred. Gladio felt his stomach drop. The iris, once the purest shade of green, now was so white it might as well have been invisible. Unable to resist, he removed his left hand to gently caress the scars marring Ignis’ face. “You dumb shit.”

Ignis flinched at the contact, clasping the Shield’s hand with his own and squeezing it as he pulled it away from his mangled face. “I did what I had to.”

“Yeah well you _shouldn’t_ of had to.”

“...It wasn’t His Highness’ fault Gladio.”

Gladio growled, looking away from the other man. He knew, he really did know in his heart that Noctis wasn’t to blame. He did everything he could - the damn kid had fought an Astral for Bahamut’s sake - and he wasn’t to blame for how events had unfolded. But still. Gladio felt indiscernible rage towards _everything_ that transpired. The city falling to ruin, the Empire ships causing mayhem, Ardyn taunting him as he did, and Ignis… 

“H-Hey, sorry to interrupt your, er, moment but, uh, I think it’s time we got the hell outta Dodge..?e.” Prompto said hesitantly, snapping Gladio back to the present. Raising his head, he saw that the blonde was right. Empire ships full of soldiers were descending on their location, the bay doors opening. They just couldn’t catch a moment's reprieve could they?

Frustrated, the Shield punched the stonework beneath him, the pain in his fist clearing his head a fraction. “Let’s move. Iggy, I’m gonna have to carry you.”

Ignis snorted, pulling himself into a sitting position, forcing Gladio to stand. “Absolutely not. Incapacitated as I am, I can still be of use in a fight.”

Gladio frowned, crossing his arms over his chest. “Yeah and how are you gonna navigate through the city?”

Ignis hesitated and Gladio sighed. He offered Ignis a hand, then remembered he couldn’t see the hand and knelt down to hook his hand around Ignis’ elbow, Gently, he lifted the other man to a standing position. Ignis stumbled as he righted his feet underneath him, and Gladio steadied him with a firm hand on his chest and a tight grip on his elbow. “You got this. You’re okay.” He whispered soothingly to the other, watching Ignis intently. 

Ignis nodded his thanks, puffing out a small breath, his face scrunching with pain. Prompto, ever restless, had his eyes raking the skies constantly, bouncing from one foot to another. “We need to go!” He whined in a singsong voice.

The first Nifelheim soldier descended onto the altar at the base of the steps, cutting off their exit. Great. Gladio let go of Ignis’ chest to summon his shield. Prompto yelped, taking the cue to summon his gun in a flurry of blue magic and immediately let loose a storm of bullets. Ignis tensed, bringing out one of his trusty daggers. “No way,” Gladio insisted, his gaze focused on the MT unit as it twitched in horrific ways. 

“I _can_ fight. I refuse to be a burden.”

Gladio shook his head “I have no doubt, but you’re dangerous with those in your hands babe. Without your eyesight, how can you tell if that dagger is aimed at me, not the enemy? Let me do my job and protect you.” More MT units fell, some too close for comfort. With a shout, Gladio slammed his shield into the ground, knocking the units to the ground. Given the momentary reprieve, the Shield launched forward, tugging Ignis along after him, Prompto bringing up the rear. The trio ran down the hallway, the mechanical sound of pursuit echoing behind them. 

They were back in the antechamber of the altar soon enough, and Gladio retraced their steps from earlier, their pursuers right behind them. Fuck, where could they go? Having two incapacitated fighters was not good, especially with what felt an entire legion of enemy soldiers pressing down around them. They needed to lay low, but escaping the eyes of the Empire seemed an impossible task at the moment. 

They ran as fast as they could, breathes coming hard, limbs aching. Prompto was doing his best - he was a fantastic runner and could beat anyone in a one on one race. However, weighed down as he was with the prince, he had trouble keeping pace with Gladio and Ignis. The Shield slowed down enough for Prompto to catch up, but unfortunately, that only allowed their pursuers to gain ground. 

Distracted by concern for the injured advisor, Gladio’s mind wasn’t working as efficiently as it usually did in battle, which only added to his frustration. And it lead him to take a wrong turn into an alleyway blocked by imperial soldiers. Gladio drew to a stop, his heart pounding, his shield raised. Prompto turned to face the other direction, one hand steadying the unconscious prince on his back, the other raising his gun.

“We’re surrounded.” Ignis stated around laboured breaths, tipping his head when the MT units stopped running. Gladio swallowed around the lump in his throat, his body tensing. 

“Not for long. Stay in the middle, don’t do anything stupid.” Slowly he removed his hand from around Ignis’ elbow, and summoned his broadsword. The alley way was small enough that Gladio’s sword almost took up the entire width of it. He had just enough room to maneuver it, but his blows would have to be more precise than usual. Behind him, he heard Prompto say “Get back!” before a succession of bullets rang out. Stepping forward towards his target, the Shield of the King readied himself. 

MT units weren’t the smartest creatures, programmed only to kill, not to recognize danger. Gladio bashed the first soldier that got too close with his shield, then brought his sword down in a terrifying arc, the force of its impact on the nearest soldier blowing it to pieces. Gladio bashed his shield to the side hitting another MT soldier in the face, making its head spin. A dagger tore across his back, and he roared, shifting his weight to spin his sword to the other side. A soldier levelled a kick as his shield, but Gladio held his ground, barely phased. He ran forward with it raised, pushing through the gathering of soldiers like a human battering ram. He felt various daggers graze his arms as he rushed past, but none penetrated deeply enough to be much more than a nuisance instead of an actual threat. Deep in the middle of the gathering soldiers, he spun his blade in a deadly arc around him, bodies hitting the walls of the alley. Various MT units lost limbs, some nothing more than a torso and no longer worth dwelling over. Again, Gladio brought down his sword, cleaving a remaining unit in two. He kicked it away towards the other units, the electricity frying the few that were still standing in front of him. A mechanical arm grabbed the Shield from behind, forcing him to drop his weapons into the Armiger. He grasped at the robotic fingers ensnared around his neck and pitched forward, but the hold stayed. Changing tactics, Gladio backed up into the wall, feeling the crunch of machinery and a hot sting across his back, reminding him he still had a wound there. 

Quickly, he picked up his blade and shield again, ready to face whatever was left from his onslaught. To his surprise, no unit on his end was left standing. He didn’t have long to savour his victory though. 

“Gladio! We need your aide!” The voice of Ignis shouted at him and the Shield moved into action.

At the other end of the alley, Prompto had backed up from the group, bleeding from various injuries scattered across his bare arms. His moves were sluggish, his eye not tracking the enemies movement as quick as it usually did, and various units were charging at him. Somehow, the blonde still had Noctis on his back, the prince a dead weight as Prompto fended for his life. The kid was panicking, not accustomed to close combat, his usual fighting style useless in such close quarters. A soldier got through Prompto and charged at Ignis.

“Iggy, on your left!” Gladio shouted. The man barely hesitated before he summoned his blade and swung, the tip of the dagger embedding successfully into its target as it twitched in faux agony. Ignis ripped the dagger out, spun it in his hand, and dragged it across the units throat, severing wires. Another unit bashed Prompto away, the kid stumbling back, frantically clutching at the unconscious prince on his back. Gladio got there in time, driving his sword forward through the unit. He pulled his sword out, and threw up his shield, maneuvering in front of Prompto. The tide of enemies was endless, a seemingly infinite amount of MT units pouring into the alley. “We gotta run! I opened up the other end, so let’s get moving!”

“I dare say, our window of opportunity has closed Gladio.” Ignis replied calmly, summoning his other blade. Gladio chanced a look back and cursed. More soldiers were pouring into the other end, their guns raised. “How tall are the buildings?”

“Tall enough that we’re boxed in.”

“I doubt that. Get down!” Ignis flipped his daggers - a nervous habit - and jumped into the air with a flourish. Bringing his arms close into his chest, he thrusted them out, elemental daggers spraying out in a large radius. Enemies fell all around them and the tide of soldiers slowed. Gladio had always had the pleasure of practicing with Ignis, so he should be used to such a display of power from the other man. Yet he still found himself in awe. Even disabled as he was, Ignis was still a powerful force of nature. 

The advisor landed in a crouch, gasping in pain as he pitched to the side. Gladio was on his knees in an instant, catching the other man before he fell over completely. “Quickly! We mustn’t waste time. Help me with this.” He reached into the Armiger and pulled out a contraption that puzzled Gladio until Ignis slid it onto his arm. Gladio put a commanding hand on his arm, stopping the other’s movements.

“Give it to Prompto first. Kid needs to get out of here.” Standing in a daze, Prompto was staring at the end of the alley he did his best to clear, his breaths puffing out erratically. Ignis nodded, allowing Gladio to slide it off his arm. Placing a comforting hand on Prompto’s shoulder, Gladio offered the grappling hook to the gunner. “Here. Get up and out of here. Throw it back to me and I’ll follow with Iggy.” Prompto turned his gaze to Gladio, his physical presence here, but his mind elsewhere. A gash was dripping blood down the left side of the boy’s face, a stark contrast to his unusually pale complexion and his limbs were still trembling with adrenaline and shock. Gladio shook his shoulder, trying to get his attention. “Kid, c’mon.”

Prompto shook his head eyes finally properly focusing on Gladio’s face. “R-Right. Sorry.” With shaking fingers, he took the grappling hook from Gladio and fastened it to his arm. He fiddled briefly with it, then took aim up at the top of one of the buildings. He paused. “You… Promise you’ll be right behind me??”

“Without hesitation kid.” Gladio replied, and Prompto nodded. Setting his face with determination, he clicked the contraption and released the hook, shooting up into the air after it with a slight yelp of surprise. More footsteps echoed from where they entered the alley and Gladio felt a cold sweat break over him. He was getting tired, the last vestiges of adrenaline clinging stubbornly in his system. As much as he would like to believe he could take on an entire army by himself, he was only a man. 

Prompto hollered a warning before he threw down the hook, Gladio catching it with ease. The sounds of footsteps were drawing nearer as he hastily applied the gadget to his arm, loosening the straps so it could fit comfortably over his forearm. With a final snap, Gladio secured it in place, a triumphant cry releasing from his lips. The next wave of soldiers appeared in the alley, their movements more robotic and jerky than the previous retinue of soldiers. Assassins. Gladio wrapped an arm securely around Ignis’ waist, thankful the other man was so lithe. 

“Ready?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Stalk us at:  
> Twitter: @kappakay/@silverliningcos  
> Instagram: @kappakay/@silverliningcosplay


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Picture Prompt:  
> And here we are at the end of the line. Once again, thank you to my best sunshine boi for editing this chapter and for SilverLinings for giving me the tools to bring in the feels. I'm truly humble that so many of you have taken the time to read this and drop some kudos. Extra love to those who have left comments ;; y'all are the real MVP.

Ignis nodded curtly, and Gladio clicked the button, not being as careful as he should have been with aiming. The hook embedded itself in the building, pulling the two up with a whirr of protest. MT assassins charged at the pair, spinning their weapons, but thankfully, they managed to slip out of reach. The hook struggled to pull them up as quickly as it did with Prompto and Noctis due to the added weight, so it shouldn’t have surprised Gladio too much when the pulley itself jammed. Nevertheless, the sudden stop did catch him off guard and he cursed loudly at the technology. If he hadn’t been spending the day fighting off hordes of robots, he could have easily stayed hanging on the side of the building with Ignis in his arms no problem. But his muscles were fatigued, and even though Ignis was light enough, the Shield still felt an ache from being pulled in two different directions.

Prompto poked his head over the side of the roof, eyes widening when he saw the situation. “Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit. This isn’t good!”

Gladio chances a look down and saw a pile of robots hovering underneath him, their creepy red eyes trained on his backside. Going back down was gonna be a huge risk, and he didn’t know if he could fight his way out alive especially if he had to factor Ignis into the equation. He jerked his arm to and fro, trying to kick start the pulley again, but they stayed stubbornly stationary. 

“Gladio, stop resisting and do what you know you have to,” Ignis stated, giving his best approximation of a glare. 

Still stubborn, Gladio ignored him, curling his arm, grunting with exertion. Ignis sighed. “Bloody oaf. But then, this is why I’m the advisor.”

“Prompto! Take Noctis and get out of here. We’ll rendezvous at the First Secretary’s office. Understood?”

The blonde blinked down at them. “Wha? But I-” He stopped himself mid sentence, gazing down at the conglomeration of robots beneath them.

“Going back down there is suicide, Iggy,” Gladio whispered urgently to the other man.

“You’re being over dramatic,” replied Ignis with a bored drawl. “Focusing too much on just routing the enemy will expend your energy, but if you focus on evading, it’ll save us time.”

“I’m the one who can see to count how many are below us right now, so I know better than you what we’re getting into.”

“Cover those delicate eyes then, my dear,” Ignis smirked before turning his attention upward. “Prompto, before you go could you give us a Starshell please?”

The blonde focused on his friends again, pausing as he digested the words. “Uh wait what? Are you serious? You can’t be thinking about-”

“Our options are limited so we must.”

Prompto, never having put his gun away, spun it nervously in his hand, the other holding Noctis steady. “Dude, I reeeaaally don’t think that’s a good idea…” he argued, eyes shifting to the hoard of MT’s below and back to Ignis.

“Thankfully I didn’t ask for your opinion. Starshell. Now.” Ignis summoned a ball of electrical energy as he was talking to emphasize the urgency. Prompto bit his lip but nodded meekly. Huffing out a breath, the gunner lined up his shot, flipping his gun sideways as he fired off his bullet art. Gladio closed his eyes against the bright light that emitted from the bullet, knowing that the light would cause a harsh drop to his accuracy, which he desperately still needed. Ignis, unaffected by the light, dropped the ball once he heard the sound of the shot, shocking the collected units down below. “You can open your eyes,” Ignis murmured and as Gladio complied, he saw the other man summon one of his daggers and effectively cut the line, sending both of them into a freefall. 

Their landing wasn’t the most graceful- as one might expect from landing on a pile of robots- but they did break their fall effectively. Aching with exhaustion and some new scrapes and bruises, Gladio rolled up to his feet, pulling Ignis up with him. Grasping the advisors hand firmly, the Shield broke into a run, aware their brief moment for escape would close quickly if he didn’t act fast. He just hoped Prompto would be able to handle himself and Noctis…

Gladio shook himself. Of course he would. Prompto may be the least experienced of them all, but he too was trained by the Immortal himself. The kid was the best damn marksman Gladio had ever trained with, and he had only improved as their trip continued. Plus, Prompto had the same protective drive for Noctis that Gladio had for Ignis. He had to trust that the blonde would be fine. 

They cleared out of the alley quick enough, and burst out into an open plaza that was, thankfully, free of enemies. _Finally some luck._ Gladio paused in the middle of the square, panting and taking stock of the area. This part of the city was not nearly as affected as the previous places they’ve been in, the houses still standing though deserted. But it was also a part of the city Gladio had never been before and finding a way to the First Secretary’s office was going to be difficult without a map. 

Ignis coughed beside him, falling to his knees. Instantly, Gladio was at his side, clutching his one hand while the other went to his shoulder to steady him. Ignis waved him away. “I’m fine.”

“Like hell you are,” Gladio snapped, tone laced with concern. Ignis shook his head, coughing too much to answer. The Shield looked over his shoulder, back at where they came but saw no sign of robots coming after them. Finally regaining control of his lungs, Ignis ran a hand through his untidy hair. 

“We need to keep moving.”

Gladio nodded, moving his arm so he would be ready to offer support, but the other man stood up quickly and moved out of reach, dropping their joined hands. “I will not be carried by you, Gladio.”

He frowned, straightening up. “Fine. You can be as stubborn as you want for now, but the moment you show any sign of not being able to keep up, I’m carrying you bridal style.”

Ignis scoffed, before coughing a bit. “I would never allow it.”

Gladio raised an eyebrow, scanning the area. There were many options for him to choose but none looked even vaguely familiar. He sighed, running his hand through his hair as he started pacing. Ignis tilted his head in Gladio’s direction. “Are we lost?”

“No,” Gladio snapped, a little too quickly. Ignis huffed a laugh.

“Are we still near the altar of the TideMother?”

“No, we’re standing in the middle of a plaza,” Gladio kept looking over his shoulder, but there were still no signs of pursuit. He furrowed his brow, a warning flashing through his brain. 

“Is there a sun mosaic along a building to the east?”

Gladio looked and grunted in confirmation. Ignis nodded. “Take the path opposite to that building. Then take the second left, over the bridge, up a flight of stairs, then turn right at your earliest opportunity.”

“You memorized the map of Altissia.”

Ignis shrugged, adjusting his rolled sleeves. “Figured I should in case of emergency.”

Gladio shook his head, impressed. “Alright, we’ll do this your way. Remember what I said.”

“Vividly.”

He gave Ignis one last look before sighing. Ignis could have his way for now, but when push comes to shove, he would not be able to stop Gladio from making good on his threat. “Follow as best as you can then.” Walking backwards to start, Gladio moved on the west side of the plaza, watching as Ignis followed behind, his steps cautious but determined. Satisfied for now, Gladio turned to face forward, navigating the streets as best he could. The more he jogged along the streets, the more familiar they became which made Gladio feel more confident. He made a point of checking over his shoulder often, ensuring Ignis was keeping up and that they weren’t being pursued. So far, it had been eerily quiet, nothing but the two men’s footfall and their panting heard echoing down the streets. 

Taking the final turn Ignis suggested, Gladio was relieved to see a familiar set of stairs, still intact. With his last bit of speed, he marched up the stairs, checking the first platform to make sure no enemies were around, then marched up the next flight of stairs, Ignis not far behind. The advisor was maneuvering well despite his handicap, not complaining or falling behind as they had meandered through the suddenly quiet streets. Only his breath slightly more laboured than normal was a give away of how much pain he was feeling but not willing to vocalize. 

Ascending the last set of stairs, Gladio felt a weight lift off his shoulders, feeling a sense of relief. The open air patio remained relatively untouched by the Leviathan’s attack, trees still firmly rooted in their pots. He spied at one end of the road an air scooter, roughed up but still whole, which hopefully was a sign that Prompto was here. They had survived the night.

A dark chuckle sounded behind him, and ice seeped into his veins.

“Fancy meeting you here,” Ardyn waltzed up the steps where Ignis should have been, his face ripe for punching. “I was worried you had gotten lost. Altissia is a hard city to navigate after all.”

Gladio rushed him, not interested in playing his games. The slimy man however had pulled a gun out of his jacket and held it up point blank at the Shield. He stilled, eyeing the gun wearily. Ardyn sighed. “Really now, I’m not interested in dancing with you.”

“Came here to gloat?”

“More so to impart a lesson onto you, “ Ardyn nodded his head towards Gladio, his gaze shifting behind the taller man. Weary, Gladio turned slowly, raising his hands in a demonstration of peace. His blood froze over. As focused as he was on getting to the First Secretary’s office, he had missed something vitally important. A body propped up against the booth, the person’s identity shrouded in darkness. His heart leaped into his throat as he walked towards it, another body coming into view as he got closer to the booth, it’s very familiar shape braced against the first person’s body as if they were just resting. Except they were unnaturally still. _There’s no way. No. Nonono, they were alive, they were okay._

But the cold bodies of Prompto and Noctis told a different story. 

They told the story of how a King’s Shield had failed his core duty of protecting the crown, how his feelings for Ignis clouded his judgement and lead to him making rash decisions. He should’ve never allowed them to split up. He should’ve found a way to scale the building with Ignis in his arms to guide Prompto properly. He was a failure. Gladio fell to his knees beside the bodies of his friends, the once full of life blonde and his young charge, the last of his energy disappearing into the wind. There was a rage building, he could feel it, but he had nowhere to aim it. Before, he could channel it to a single purpose, or attach it to an entity that he could physically harm. With the anger trapped inside, he was unable to make any use of it. It sat, useless in the pit of his stomach, churning his insides until Gladio finally broke. He pitched forward, bracing his hands on the cement as he dry heaved, his body shaking. There was nothing for his stomach to evict, but it didn’t seem to care. Tears stung the corner of his eyes and in that moment, Gladio truly hated himself. 

A soft hand placed itself on his shoulder and Gladio couldn’t take it. Eyes blurred, he screamed, his instincts feral as he attacked the unknown assailant, leaping back to his feet and slamming his palm into the person’s sternum with nightmarish strength. Gladio’s hand slid up the person’s chest to the neck as he continued his momentum forward, and he knocked the other person to the ground with a quick jab to the back of their knee. Winded, they collapsed to the ground, coughing. Gladio crouched over them, blinking away the tears to clear his vision.

Ignis gasped for air, his hand clawing at Gladio’s grip. 

Stunned, the Shield retracted his hand and straightened himself out, his eyes wide with shock. Panic gripped his chest and his eyes darted all over the area, looking for any sign of the Chancellor, but he had disappeared as abruptly as he had showed up. He turned his gaze back to the booth to confirm what he already suspected. The bodies were gone.

The gate suddenly opened and out popped a very familiar flop of blonde hair.

“Gladio! Oh, thank the Astrals, I heard a scream and I thought that- wait. You okay big guy? You don’t look so good,” Prompto jogged over, his brows furrowed in worry and confusion. Gladio watched him approach numbly, his brain still trying to process that he was alive. “What the heck happened to Iggy?”

Ignis coughed, but replied before Gladio could, propping himself up on an elbow. “Just my injuries. I dare say I pushed myself too hard getting here. Is Noct safe?”

“Mhmm! The First Secretary just finished setting him up in her room when I heard the scream. Still unconscious though. That Leviathan fight must have really taken it out of him, but to be fair, he was _flying_ for Astrals sake and doing a bunch of stuff I didn’t even know he was capable of! So I can only imagine he’s even more tired than usual, and that’s saying something,” Prompto commented, trying to interject his usual exuberance but his exhaustion was evident. “You sure you’re okay, Gladio?”

Gladio snapped back to reality, and nodded curtly. “Yeah… Yeah I’m fine. Go back inside, kid. We’ll join you in a sec.”

“Okay. Keep it PG, you two. You’re still out in public even if, y’know, no one is actually around right now,” Prompto laughed nervously and back tracked to the other side of the gate, looking over his shoulder once to give Gladio a worried look. The Shield sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. That’s twice now Ardyn got the drop on him. He needed to control his emotions better.

“Gladio,” Ignis said softly. Wordlessly, Gladio crouched down next to Ignis and hooked his arms under Ignis’ body. The other man, feeling the warmth of Gladio’s arms opened his mouth to protest but the Shield didn’t give him time to voice anything. He lifted Ignis up, the advisor sighing as he was picked up bridal style. “I’m not mad.”

Gladio grunted. “I would be.”

“Then it’s a good thing I’m not you,” Ignis stated, his voice betraying his exhaustion. Silence descended over the two as Gladio walked them both to the gate, his mind distracted and his gut feeling heavier than it did a moment ago. Ignis, still perceptive even without his eyesight, placed his hand gently on his partner’s chest, his voice quiet.

“What did you see?”

Gladio took a few steps before he answered, watching from the corner of his eye as Ignis started to drift off, the advisor’s head falling back as if the strength to hold it up was too much. He didn’t know if his partner would hear his answer, but Gladio needed to say it aloud, needed to solidify to himself what could not - would not - happen in the future.

“Failure.”

**Author's Note:**

> Picture prompt for the chapter : https://instagram.com/p/BbUcZH2lDpx/


End file.
